Death Camp
by LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX
Summary: The experiences of one girl trying to survive and find that simple place called home.


**Death Camp  
****AN:**_Italics _is German speaking while standard is English. If the heading didn't give it away,  
this short story is about a concentration camp before leading to some of the Easy Company.  
-:-

"_Death can sneak up on you like a silent kitten,  
surprising you with its touch and you have a right to act surprised.  
Other times death stomps in the front door,  
unwanted and unannounced,  
and makes its noisy way to your seat on the sofa." – Hugh Elliott  
-:-_

**THERE **were noises, noises that made me want to cover my ears as Mathew came into my room with a burst grabbing things in the middle of the night, and I leaned up on her elbows. _"What are you doing Mathew?"_

"_Get up, coats and shoes on. We're leaving now."_ The tone of my older brother's voice left no chance to disagree as the noises outside grew louder. _"Quick!"_

"_Mathew?"_ I grew nervous as he flung clothes into a bag that they only used to see Grandpa.

"_Get Anna ready."_ Trusting my brother's judgement I run into the bedroom next door shaking Anna awake as the girl lay shaking on the bed clutching her doll. _"We're going." _

"_Where are we going?"_ Anna climbed out of bed and slipped on her brown coat.

"_Don't ask questions An-"_ A scream went through the house making the sisters' still.

"_Martha!"_ Father's voice collided with the thud of heavy feet in the lounge room down the hall.

"_William!"_ At the sound of mother's tone, I grabbed Anna rushing around the room to find something, somewhere to hide. Heavy feet and shouts made their way closer to Anna's bed room making me push Anna under the bed and flipping the bed sheets over the edge as I searched for another place to hide that would fit me, at the sounds of feet stopping at the door with the light flicking as they stood there, I opened the wardrobe and pushed the coats to the side and shut the door behind me as Anna's bedroom door opened. I tried to gasp for air as my heart started to beat in my ears; I clasped my hands over my mouth as a squeak of the floor broads sounded near me.

As my breathing came steady, I slowly pushed the wardrobe door open giving myself enough to see the uniformed men searching through the room. I freezed at the noise from under the bed hoping they wouldn't hear but my prayer wasn't heard as the room went silent until Anna's scream filled it, without a second thought I came out and hit the soldier with a coat hanger trying to prey them off Anna as they grabbed onto her brown hair.

They were stronger, they were men and adults as the sisters' were pushed outside Anna's room and into the hallway. I could feel the bruise on my cheek as I watched a couple of solider dragging my struggling brother down the hall way. _"Leave them alone!" _

"_Mathew?"_ Anna grabbed my hand holding it as she watched our older brother get dragged away in the same direction all the other men were been taken. _"Where are we going?"_

"_Anna, Sophie!"_ Their mother, Martha reached them holding them tightly as they were herd with other woman to the train station. I had never been on a train, watching the machine smoke and whistle into the night it made me shiver.

"_Hurry up! Get in there!"_ Mama put her arm around Anna and I holding us close to her as we entered a cattle shipping container. I could feel it in my gut, the horror that was yet to come.

**STANDING** there, I kept an eyes and ears out for any trouble. "_How long will it take?"_ I turned my head to the older girl and younger sister; the question broke the silence as my hands clapped tightly on the wooden stick.

"_Going to take a while."_ I followed the older girl's eyes to the forest on the other side of the barb wire fence.

"_Erika, Sophie quick."_ The two older girls jumped up. Throwing our sticks towards the large pile of rubble and moving away from the wire fence with Anna. Erika made work with the empty wheel borrow with the sisters close behind as we reached the group of workers.

"_Where have you been?"_ Josie looked up from the bags of dirt as the trio scattered to work. Erika shook her head, making Josie nod as she figured out their whereabouts. I dragged a bag onto the wheel borrow before flickering my eyes back to Josie. She didn't like their idea, didn't want any part in it though she didn't tell on them. Erika was a bit hesitant to start with as Josie didn't think it was wise but Erika used the excise that she couldn't leave the two younger ones alone, though I knew Erika wanted to explore the forest just as much._ "Can't wait to have a shower and get out of here."_

My head snapped up at the girls words. _"You're leaving?"_

"_Something I heard this morning, should be sometime after lunch."_ The girl didn't believe in adventures but she had an ear for gossip. Lunch...I couldn't remember the last time I had a proper meal. The moment my family gets out of here, I was going to fill my stomach. I couldn't help but wonder, if the time would ever come. Would I be able to see Papa and Matthew again?

I hope to see Josie again once she left. Usually a group would be seen herded into the bathrooms and not seen again, Anna said they must have a train on the other end and be taken away, back home. Anna didn't have any idea what the smoke was afterwards. I thought maybe it was the Germans in one of those men's rooms, puffing away and the smell was their bad breath. My great Grandma always had bad breath; mother would frown upon me every time for pulling a face and making Anna laugh.

The day came to an end, Erika took it upon herself to take us back to mother, it was a shuffle as the three children and two mothers were taken back to our Block. The squeezing on my fingers signalled the nerves of my sister as our mothers eyes flickered with an emotionless drained face.

The wood dug into my back as the coughs and groans filled the silences of the night, moving to my side my eyes connected with Anna's. _"I don't like this place."_ I nodded my head in agreement. _"I miss_ _Polly."_ Polly the doll, she was taken when we came to this place, like everything else we owned. Anna went to curl her fingers around my brown hair, only to become hesitant before running her hand through my shaved head that matched her own. I tapped a finger on my sister's nose, the same button nose that sat on my face. _"We'll always be together?"_

"_Promise."_ I intertwined my fingers with Anna's.

**WE **were supposed to go back to _the fence _that day instead Anna and I was taken to another room with children. There were children in groups of two and three spread around the dark room the only light coming from the doorway, the soldiers shadow standing tall compared to the sisters next to him. The fingers on my right hand felt like they were about to drop off as Anna's hand tied around my own, blood roared in my ears as the mental door was slammed closed behind us echoing through the room.

With the hunger growing in our stomachs we accepted anything including Dr Josef Mengele's lollies. Many of the children didn't understand what happened behind closed doors but I couldn't make the twisted feeling in my stomach disappear as _they, _the _white- coats _took measurements on the first few days than changing to needles.

I couldn't fully explain the feeling that run through my body as the coldness of the metal table nipping at my skin, more importantly the glass flakes rubbing into my flesh made me flinch, hearing Anna breathing heavily helped me think of something other than my own pain.

_They _didn't give Anna or I anything, instead they continued to explore.  
It was deep red and it dripped down my side making me feel faint, Dr Mengele dug the blade in deeper until I finally whimpered in the pain. He kept cutting until he started to peel my skin back making my eye sight turn blurry.

Pain was the first sensation I felt, I didn't want to look down though from the corner of my eye I caught sight of a needle and pressed my eyes closed as a pickling sensation erupted through my body. My breath hitched as I could hear Anna crying in the next room, we were meant to stay together by each other sides, I promised. I tried to move but I was numb from the pain, I wasn't sure which was worse, my pain or Anna's pain.

**MY **mind kept playing pictures as the darkness of the room with the children, Anna was huddled against me giving some comfort and warmth, but it didn't help the nightmares or the crying of the boy across them- he had come back into the room without his sister.

It was the next day the children were taken outside the building to line against the wall. It felt cold like the steal bench; Dr Mengele stepped out of the door twirling a daisy between his fingers that seem out of place in the rough dirt of the grounds. He smiled at them pulling the petals, singing tone-deaf. _"Love you, Love you not."_ He pulled a petal off squishing it under his shoes as he walk the line back and forth. _"Love you, Love you not, Love you, and Love you not."_ He stopped in front of the Ellis Twins' smiling at them as if he was the one winning a prize. The soldiers' brought the Ellis girl forward holding her down as Dr Mengele flipped out a knife taking it to her skin and started to cut her open.

Anna's fingers tightened around mine as the girls screaming grew louder, I couldn't watch as the girl was getting skinned alive in front of us. I'll never forget her.  
I knew it was finished because of two things, the screaming had stopped and Mengele stood in front of me making my downcast eyes connect with his bloody hands.

**MY **eyes twitched as myfingers gripped onto the table, the needle was inching towards my eye making my heart beat in my ears. I tried to close my eyes as the metal instrument kept my eye open making it impossible for me to close my burning eye. I went to flinch away when a pair of hands clapped around my head bringing the needle closer to my eye until pain shot throw my head making my eyes water.

I could almost forget about the action moments before but the chill running through me as my bare legs touched the steal of the table brought an image of the boy being dragged out the unknown door. I turned my eyes to less troubling things. The room was the cleanest I had been in but half the objects around the room didn't make sense to me in their odd shapes and sizes.

Turning from the room, my eyes settled on my sister sitting on the table across from me. I gave her a weak smile as the white-coats stepped in front of me. I snapped my eyes closed as a needle injected into my arm, the yellow fluid disappearing as the room started to spin. The noise in the room increased as the white-coats started to buzz around the room, looking over to Anna a frown appeared on my face as she lay there, motionless to the pain.

"_Its alright, you'll be with her soon."_ Doctor Mengele held out an orange snake dropping it into my hands as he flipped the folder open on the table. He circled a word- _fail_.  
My eyes moved over the sheet of paper, the heading 'Subject 26' didn't make sense as I bit another piece of the stale snake into my mouth chewing the leather lolly between my teeth.

It was then the bad Germans stepped forward from the side of the room, taking grip on my arms and leading me to the unknown metal door. Panic settled in my bones as I tried to look behind me for Anna. No one came out behind me, he said it would be alright, maybe I was going to see Mathew or Papa even better go on the same train as Josie, but I wanted Anna with me, a foul taste filled around my mouth.

The hand loosened on my arm as the two Germans slowed while passing another group, I almost covered my mouth at the rank smell in the air that seemed stronger here than at the sleeping blocks.

I shifted back and forth on my bare feet, my eyes flickering between the three armed men as I grew nervous. My eyes slide past the men seeing nothing in the darkness of the grounds but I knew by heart that _the forest_ was that way, the hole was that way.

Before I could realise what my body was doing, shouts sounded around me as my feet pounded against the hard ground and I flinched as a shots was fire.

**I** didn't move, not an inch even when the hunger started to grow uncomfortable; I stayed huddled in the corner of the house. The house stood cold and silent abandoned like the _other _place but the carpet under my bare feet gave me some comfort. _They _couldn't hurt me here, could they? That spark of concern kept me from moving anywhere from the safety I had made in the sort amount of time.

My breathing stilled in my throat as the squeak of the front door opened, making my small body tremble as I slide into one of the open cabinets, closing it as the heavy footsteps reached the kitchen. "Looks pretty clear." I frowned in the dark as the accent filled the room.

"It's been abandoned for awhile." A cabinet was slammed shut above the sink as I huddled closer into myself. "No food." I could have told them that, though I wasn't sure if I wanted to answer the accented strangers, but it brought back memories of my Uncle Alfred. The cabinet slammed again, gaining closer to me, each one popping open with a click. "Let's head back."

My breath froze inside of my chest as _my _cabinet door opened, revealing a young man with pale red hair. I couldn't move as the man started back at me with surprise, the other man still chatting away. "Are you alight?" His voice made me wrap my arms around my knees, he seemed nice enough but so did some of the _other _men. "I'm Babe." He pointed to himself before nodding over his shoulder as another man came into view behind him. "That's Shifty, What is your name?" I shook my head at the men, my eyes going to the gun.

Babe seems to sense this as he handed it over to Shifty. My eyes followed his movements as he started to pulled a bar from his pocket. "Here." He held out the bar and I could just make out the word _chocolate_, something Mama use to talk about. Unwrapping an arm, I reached forward to only frown as my finger tips couldn't touch the wrapper, kneeing on my knees I stopped myself from leaving the safety of my hole, taking a glance at the man- Babe. Babe gave me a smile, something I loved seeing Mama do. Babe had a nice smile, _they _didn't smile like that. Taking the final step, I climbed out of the cabinet and sat down in front of him leaning my bony back against the cabinet out of reach from other hands and crossed my legs to open the chocolate bar. The taste melted in my mouth as my stomach growled. "What's your name?

I licked my lips nervously and fiddled with the wrapper. "Sophie." My name came out with a slight accent as I tried to speak like them, I was sure Mama would be proud of me.

"Are you German?" I hesitantly nodded my head as I took another bite of the chocolate.

"You're not German."

"Not at all - Americans." I looked up as I chewed, both men seem to be taking me in as I was them though I had no idea why _Americans _would be here, maybe they heard about the camps.

"Uncle Alfred is like you." The two men shared a look.

"Where are you parents?" I frowned while nibbling on the bar, saving the sweetness.

"They are with _them_." The men didn't seem fazed at my stumbling of English, instead the heavy gaze didn't leave me, I thought about crawling back into the cabinet.

"Lets take you somewhere warm." Babe held out his hand, it reminded me of Papa's hands, rough and strong. I gripped his finger as he stood up, pulling me with him.

They started heading towards the front door with Shifty close behind, I squeezed Babe's fingers tighter as I suddenly realized that it was daylight. What's if they were waiting?

"We won't let anything happen." The sound of Shifty's voice made me relax as a comforting hand was placed on my lower back.

They didn't know what to make of it as the trio walked into a building with a handful of men like Babe and Shifty scattered around the room in their uniforms. I had seen some men walking around the streets, their staring making me nervous... "What you got there fellas?" Two men walked up, one darked skinned while the other had a goofy grin spread across his face.

"Boys met Sophie." They each gave me warm smiles making me feel better about the group. "This is George and Frank. Any of you seen Doc?"

"Next room, something wrong?" George eyed the girl as he threw the baseball back and forth.

"Can you get Winters?" George was already walking away when Babe remembered something. "And a blanket?"

"I'll get the blanket." Shifty turned the other direction almost making me speak up as one of my founders left me, making me push against Babes side. Babe led me from the room taking me into another room filled with beds- set up and ready.

"Doc!" A man's head snapped up at the sound of his name. "I need you to check her out." Doc nodded his head, patting the bed beside him.

Babe pushed me lightly towards the bed, helping me get on without separating their joined hands. I felt the butterflies again as the same thing happened with _them_, the only thing stopping me from running was Babes hand and the softness under my legs, nothing like the tables the white coats had.

"What's your name darling?" I slightly grinned at the Docs accent, it sounded funny to my ears.

"Sophie." He tugged at my stripped shirt, checking me over. "Is your name really Doc?"

"It's a nickname." He tipped a grin at me. "Just like Babe." I looked over Babe's hand resting in mine.

"It's your nickname?" I didn't know how I felt that the man in front of me, I thought maybe the Americans have different ways, my Uncle was always a funny man.

"Its Edwards, I prefer being called Babe." He gave my small hand a squeeze before turning his attention to Doc, he couldn't explain what he felt as he saw the ribs, bones , the injections along the my arms. I knew it looked as if someone had use me as a guinea pig. He looked back at me, finding that my brown and blue eyes were already watching him, the right eye a mixture of unnatural colours.

"Babe." I shifted on the bed, as a new man with someone behind him joined us. His face was serious but the kindness in his eyes stopped me from flinching away at his closeness. "Gene?"

"She's not in the best of shape, can you speak English?" The man moved to Babes side, taking a seat on the bed next to me. He looked scary standing, sitting he seemed harmless as he didn't tower over me. "I'm Richard, and this is Nixon."

"Sophie." He didn't seem half as bad talking, didn't seem like _them._

"Where are your parents Sophie?" I looked away from Richards eyes to Babes hand, tracing the rough lines engraved in his skin.

"Back there."

"There?"

"In the forest with the bad men, Mama and Anna are. Papa and Mathew…."

"The Germans." He didn't seem to need my confirmation on the statement. "Where in the forest?"

"I…don't know, it was dark." The pit of my stomach felt heavy, like the times I couldn't help Mama with something. "Sorry." Babe squeezed my hand as Shifty came back with a blanket wrapping it around my shoulder, making a shiver run through me.

"Do you know what you were doing there?" The question came from Nixon; he seemed focused on me, like I was a problem to be solved.

"Mama never said, we wor-ked and share-d a room with lots of pe-ople. For a bit." She stumbled over her words.

"A bit?" Richard gained my attention again, making me realize that he had the same colour hair as Babe.

"Me and… Anna went to another room with kids and the white coats." I pressed my lips together, not wanting to say anymore, not wanting to remember.

"Experiments." Doc whispered beside me. He had connected the dots, the injections and scars.

"Where's Anna?" I was glad for a change; I could talk about my sister.

"You haven't seen her?" I had so many questions that I wanted to ask, but I didn't know how to _ask _them.

Richard stared at me for a long time before turning to Shifty. "Find Liebgott." My hand tightened on the blanket pulling it closer to me without letting go of Babe's hand.

"Sir?" My eyes flickered up to the man standing beside Richard. He stood up from the bed to stand beside the man, whispering something as the man's eyes glanced over me. "Yes sir." Both men turned towards me, Richard smiled while the men shifted on his feet before taking the seat Richard was in moments ago. _"Your names Sophie?" _I looked at him in surprised as German slipped through his lips. I watch him before nodding my head. _"I'm Liebgott."_

"_You're speaking German?"_ I flushed as he smiled to me.

"_And I'm Jewish." _He pointed to my chest, the star of Davis patched on my clothes.

"_So I am." _It was a relief to talk to someone like my family. "_You're just like us."_

Liebgott frowned at my choice of wording. "_Like us?_"

"_We're different to everyone else."_ The wrinkles in his forehead increased.

"_We're the same as everyone else."_

"_They said we aren't."_ I was confused at what Liebgott was saying.

"_The Germans?"_ I nodded my head, he is like me. _"Stay here."_ Liebgott walked away with Richard and Nixon, it was only then I realised Doc wasn't beside me but moving around the room. I watched Doc, noticing how different he was compared to other Doctors I knew, he was nice. Panic started to settle in as Babes hand slipped out of mine, I watched wide-eyed as he move towards the group, Richard talking to him. Shifty moved in my line of sight, giving me a soft smile that was nothing compared to Dr Mengele's.

"Let's get you some food." I finally smiled as Babe came back, holding his hand out. I jumped off the bed taking his hand before looking behind me, happy to see Liebgott walking at my back with Shifty.

Joining the room, George pushed a guy beside him patting the bench. "You are sitting next to me Violet." I frowned not sure what he meant as he rolled the base ball back and forth on the surface of the table. I moved forward, unsure as I let Babes hand go and watched the ball, _they _never let them play it seemed like years since I had seen one.

"Can you catch?" He predicted to throw the ball making me jerk as I stood near him keeping my eyes on the ball. "Ever seen a ball?" He couldn't help but ask as my eager eyes watched the ball roll.

"Mathew use to take us to the park." I sat down on the bench; Liebgott took the space behind me, giving me some comfort having another Jew close, someone similar. I cupped my hands as the ball looked like it was about to roll off the table but George caught it at the last minute. George raised an eye brow at me and my hands automatically move back to the table waiting. With a third false roll; he finally let the ball roll across the table into my small hands, my eyes lit up as I rolled it back to George.

"Sophie." Babe placed a glass of milk with a plate of bread on the table. "Eat up." I didn't need to be told twice, I drank half the milk leaving a white line above my top lip as I picked at the bread quickly.

"Don't let her eat too fast, she will get sick." Doc walked across the room to another man with the same Red Cross patch on his shoulder.

"Where did you get the food?" A man with red hair frowned at Babe from across the table with a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Connections Malarkey." I looked at my plate, stilling the movements of eating. I pushed my plate towards him. I was always told to share, we had to share with the amount of food.

"I'm right Kiddo." Malarkey smiled, pushing the plate back under my nose.

"Thank you." I could almost see Mama pleased at using the manners she worked so hard to drill into me. Secretly I was happy not to share my bread _or _milk; it was all mine though I had hardly eaten half and my stomach felt full, the fullest in a long time.

**I **winced as the woman stripped me of my clothes before relief flowed in my veins as the hot bath felt like old times when Mama would be busy cooking dinner on the stove from last night's supper, Papa made sure the kids were ready for bed than reading the newspaper though you can never be sure whether it was a new release or an older edition, either way Mama would try to teach the children to read.

Rough fingers dug into my scalp as the soap was rubbed in, nothing like Mama's smooth fingers but I was thankful to be clean but I would have to wear the dirty clothes again, I hugged my knee to my flat chest.

**I** kept myself staring in front, afraid that I might cry if I had to look him in the eye. "How are you feeling today Soph?" Gene checked me over, writing in his little book ever once in awhile.

"Soph?" I questioned him, not sure what to think of the nicknames that seen to developed over night.

"You don't mind me calling you Soph?" I wasn't sure whether it was an American or Army thing, maybe I should ask Liebgott about it as Mama never called me anything else but Sophie.

"I like it." I swang my bony knees as I watched Nixon and Richard talk by themselves making me nervous. Would the Americans send me back to the white coats?

The question plagued my thoughts as the guys started to gear up. Liebgott said they had just arrived in the town yesterday and some of the boys were going to scan over the forest, similar to Babe and Shifty were doing when the two found me. "Penny for your thoughts?" I smiled at Babe, only to frown at him when I didn't know how to respond. "What are you thinking?"

"I ca-n stay with you?" I desperately didn't want to go back, I watched him pause making panic freeze inside my lungs.

"For the most part." He re-stepped his words as my face dropped. "This is a war, you can't...I can _not_ let you get hurt, apart from that you're stuck with me." Babe nudged against my shoulder making me laugh. "That's my Girl." He stood up from the steps and pulled me with him. "I think it's about time we find you some _real _clothes."

It was Nixon that handed me the greens; it was the first time he ever grinned at me. I could remember the men talking about Nixon and his wife, well he wasn't having the best of time as his wife was taking the kid and the dog, the statement George used copying Nixon's voice, 'She hates that dog.' I wonder if Nixon had a son or a daughter. "Try these on for size." The man left the room, leaving me to try on the adult clothes.

"Babe!" A laugh escaped him, making me frown as the shirt hung off me and the pants bunch up at my feet. "I don't like it." I folded my arms across my chest.

"You look like a stuffed olive." Nixon's lips twitched.

"An unripe Pumpkin." Babe leaned against the door with a bright smile not hiding anything.

Perconte walked pass the door only to stick his head through the door way staring at me with a tooth brush hanging from his mouth. "Wait one moment Violet." Nixon raised an eyebrow at Babe, only for him to shake his head as Perconte came back with some clothes. "I know you're a girl, but George and I found these the other night." Frank gave me pair of navy boy pants and a brown shirt even adding pair of rough looking shoes, making my bare feet wiggles on the floor broad.

Without much thought I started to strip in excited to get into some normal clothes as I stumbled with the oversize pants, making the men glance in the other direction. "I'm a para-topper." I stumbled over my English smiling with the army green shirt hanging loose and navy pants.

"That you are Pumpkin." Babe stepped forward to tuck the shirt into my pants making me truly follow up to my new nickname as the shirt looked like a balloon.

"_**YOU **__remind me of__ my brother."_ I sat close to Liebgott, speaking in our language was easier than trying to find the right English words.

"_Your brother?"_ I wasn't sure what it was, the fact that he was Jewish or was it the brown hair?

"_Mathew...I miss him and Anna."_

"_How many siblings you got?"_ Joe Liebgott wasn't that cuddly compared to her Babe but Babe couldn't speak German though the tone told him enough as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into the warmth.

"_Two siblings, older brother and twin sister...she looks like me."_ Anna may have looked like me but it had been days since I last saw her and I felt like couldn't remember her.

"_What about your parents?"_ I went quiet before making my mind up that Liebgott wouldn't tell a soul.

"_We're not allowed to speak of it."_ I took it a habit of playing with Babe or Liebgotts fingers when I got nervous, the difference between them amazed and comfort her. _"Mathew and Papa were taken somewhere else. Mama, Anna and I went on a different holiday. I haven't seen Papa or brother for months, or even Uncle Alfred."_

"_Is your Uncle Alfred with your Papa?"_

"_No, his like you."_

"_American?"_ I nodded my head.

"_Uncle Alfred and Mama are like you. He sometimes sends letters to Mama and she taught us some American."_

"_Can we contact your Uncle?"_

"_His away with Grandma, in the heavens."_ I pointed to the sky, saying the same words Mama had spoken to my siblings.

"_Liebgott, Lip wants you."_ Hanging his gun over his shoulder and placing his helmet back on, he patted me on the head.

"_Stay out of trouble Violet."_

"You have got to teach me German." I glanced up at Babe as he watched his fellow brother leave the room.

**THE **sound of Penconte's breathing filled the room as he stood pointing in the direction he came from. "What is it Penconte?"

"The forest...Sir, You have to come see." His words sent the room into a rush as everyone started to pile into the vehicles.

"What the hell is this?" Webster sat beside me staring at the high fences that I remember so well. I gripped onto Babe, scared to enter the place as memories raced through me. What if Dr Mengele was here?

"Sophie?" Babe bent down to my height, connecting the dots as the males in stripped pyjamas and shaved heads with the star of Davis patched on them. "Sophie." My eyes were glued to the people as Babe pulled me to his side as silent tears rolled down my cheeks.

The gates opened and people, Jews, poles and gypsies stumbled down the road towards them, each gasping for water and food. I tightened my grip on Babe as they came closer, I didn't want to be taken back."I'm not leaving you." Babe squeezed my hand while we made our way to one of the stripped man.

I was staring at the man before me as a hand grabbed my arm making a small scream to escape the pulling. _"Sophie."_ I stilled my movements as I could hardly recognise the voice.

"_Mathew?"_ The older boy didn't look anything like my brother, he looked like one of the zombies from the scary stories he use to tell us at night.

"_Is it really you?"_ His thin fingers traced over my face as tears clouded his vision. Mathew never cried.

I was waiting for him to ask about Anna but he never said a word expect touch me as if I was going to vanish. _"Where's Papa?"_

Mathew didn't say anything as he continued to stare at me, shaking his head. I was about to question him again when Colonel Sink drove up heading straight for Richard and Nixon.

Mathew grabbed my hand as the solider started to push them back into the camp. _"You stay with them_, get out of here." His eyes flickered behind me at Babe using a tone that I hardly ever heard him use, one that sounded just like Papa. He pressed his chipped lips to my forehead before getting pushed into the crowd. Babe's arms come around my middle keeping me safe from the stumbling masses.

Babe led me away from the camp, picking me up to sit on the truck bench. "Chin up Pumpkin, you'll see him again." He tapped my nose making a small watery smile twitch at the edges. "There's our girl."

"And our girl deserves the best." Shifty patted himself down, pulling out a chocolate bar. I could feel my tongue tingling at the memory of my first chocolate bar from Babe.

"There is a concentration camp further down the railway, heard it's the women's camp." Liebgott jumped into the truck followed by a handful of Easy men. "It's not only Jews, but Gypsies and a few others."

"No one in the town knew about it."

"How can they not smell it?" Webster's voice was muffled from the cloth covering half his face.

"You get use to it." I bit into the chocolate, glancing up as no one spoke. "Some days are worse than others, but after awhile you don't notice it." The only response I got was Babe pulling me onto his lap and securely wrapping his arms around me.

"**WILL **I be able to see Mathew soon?" A couple of the guys looked up at Babe and I sitting on the cot, it made Babe pause as he tucked me in.

"Some...day." He pulled the blanket to my chin keeping the cold away.

"What are we going to do now?"

"Now, we are going to sleep, night Pumpkin." Kissing the side of my check he settled down on the floor beside me. He looked over at Skinny next to him. "Didn't know you could draw." I listened to their voices and watching the dark shadow of Babe.

"One of my sisters do, she could draw anything."

"Not Bad yourself." I finally closed my eyes listening to the mutters of the men.

_It was dark and cold as my bare feet slapped against the hard ground, I couldn't see but the sensation of falling washed over me as I landed hard on my side._

_My breathing freezed in my lungs, my eyes adjusting to the darkness bring a face into sight, the pale face of my twin staring back at me with an emotionless. Jumping back I moved into something hard, glancing behind me Papa gripped onto my arm as Anna took my other arm, dragging me with them into the cold darkness as I kicked and screamed to be let go, a large fire started in front of me and the zombies from the camps were walking into the flames making my nose crunch at the vile smell and my lungs hurt as I screamed again._

Another pair of hands grabbed me making my eyes snap open to see Skinny's face; I jumped into his arms holding onto him as I shook like a leaf. I tried to hold back the tears as Mama words came into my head- "A lady never cries in the company of others"- this time however the tears rolled off my cheeks and splashed upon the green shoulders. "It's alright Sophie; no one's going to hurt you." Letting out a shaky breath I wobbled over to a sleeping body that hadn't stirred at a single sound and tugged the hand hanging from out of the blanket.

"Pumpkin?" I didn't answer him but snuggled into his chest as I use to do with Papa. Another shaky breath escaped me as Babe stroked my head, the simple rubbing making me relax. It reminded me of Papa but he never smelt like my Babe that only made it better as I intertwined my fingers with Babes, the larger hand hiding mine and making them tingle with warmth.

**THE **next morning the stale bread did not help with my upset stomach, making me pick pieces from it until George couldn't stand it anymore, swapping my bread for his chocolate bar.

"Ever played bass ball Violet?" I turned my gaze away from the local kids as George took a seat.

"Violet?" He lit a cigarette up making my turn my nose up at the smell, Papa smoked.

"Yeah, you know with the..." Luz pointed to his eye making me mirror his actions to my unnatural coloured eye. "You have a killa set of eyes." I frowned at him. "Beautiful, beautiful eyes." He corrected himself to a term I would understand, making the upset lines disappear from my forehead.

"No I have not played baseball."

"Not at all? Even with your brother?" I slowly shook my head at the mention of my brother.

"Come on." He held out a hand for me, making me hesitant before taking it.

I followed Luz into our building as he made his way to one of the closed doors which happened to be a closest. I winced as few curse words left his mouth making him move further into the closest before he came out with a grin holding a cricket bat. "That's not a baseball bat."

"I _do _know that, it means were playing cricket instead." I shrugged my shoulder; I didn't really know the difference between the two ball games.

"You plan on playing a game?" Perconte stood there brushing his teeth once again; his statement caught the attention of some of the other guys.

In the end the group was made of Perconte, Luz, Popeye, Malarkey, Liebgott, Bull and Babe. "Its simple, you aim and swing." I frowned at Luz.

"But...I don't know." I watched as each one started to speak at the same time making it harder for me to understand their language.

"Shut it!" Liebgott moved past the group to stand behind me slipping the cricket bat into my hands over his own. _"Move like this." _He swung the bat a couple of time letting me get the feel of the action, the motion and his steady voice calmed the panic that started to rise within me. "Bull, the ball." Bull moved in front of us swinging his arm a couple before throwing the ball. Liebgott's fingers tightened against my own before he swung the bat making my arm tingle from the hit. _"That's how you hit a ball."_ He ruffled my hair. _"Now you run to the wickets."_ Grabbing my hand we run to the wicket and back though not before Popeye caught the ball tapping the other wicket.

"You're out!" I started to shake my head at Popeye. "You're out Sophie."

"Nope, he is." I pointed the finger at the shocked Liebgott, making a few chuckle at the young girl. "Joey's out."

"That he is Violet." George took the bat from Liebgotts hands giving it to me. "Show them how to do it."

The smile never left my face, I felt more alive with these boys than I had for years, and my cheeks were almost at the point of hurting from laughing as I stood by the side lines watching them. A grin spread across Liebgott's face making me think back to the comment of the boys, Liebgott was meant to have a dirty mind like the older boys back home, but I hadn't once heard anything wrong come out of his mouth.

My attention turned to some of the boys surrounding the crates laughing; I didn't know what to make of the scene, I thought of my family and wondered how anyone could be happy? Or what the Americans were doing here? I wasn't sure how I could forget these important things. "Everything alright Sophie?" John Martin sat down beside me, I hadn't talked to him much but Martin and Richard were the only ones that called me Sophie instead of a some kind of nickname.

As I thought about it, I became embarrassed at the question, I finally asked what the Americans were doing here, and Martin simply smiled though didn't say anything for a long period of time until the boys surrounded them covered in sweat. "Have you heard of Hitler?" The laughter of the boys died down bringing the lines back into their faces. I wasn't sure how to answer, to scare to get in trouble by the unhappy men. Mama always said to speak the truth. I nodded my head keeping my eyes on Martin. "Papa spoke of him sometimes." I could clearly remember the fight between my parents one night and the name was mentioned.

"He has a lot of power and ...made some bad decisions." Some of the boys made a noise in the back of their throats, though my eyes focused on Liebgott as a disgusted look crossed his face, "We are here to stop him from making anymore."

"All you need to know kiddo is we are the good guys." George pointed at himself slapping a big grin on his face.

"And Hitler hates us." I heard Liebgott comment making him earn a slap from Malarkey. _Us_- I knew Joey meant Jews from his tone, everything clicked into place.

"He put us into the camps?" I remembered the solider uniforms in the house, the same uniform at the camp, each holding a red flag covering the town in red seas of violence. "_But Hitler is German like me?"_

"_No,"_ Liebgott bend down in front of me speaking in German, I hadn't even realised it. _"He is nothing like you."_

"_Why did he do it?"_ Liebgott run a frustrated hand through his hair.

"_Your special and he can't handle that."_

**WALKING** around the edges of the garden beds, it reminded me of the time back home."Violet, I've got someone that would like to meet you?" Nixon grabbed my hand helping me to jump off the wooden garden bed.

"Who?"

"The Colonel." I hadn't directly spoken to Colonel Sink and I wasn't looking forward to it, he reminded me of Grandpa Phil who had a mean temper. "It's alright, nothing bad is going too happened," I nodded my head knowing that Nix was the intelligence office and knows everything about everyone.

We walked up to a wooden door, Nixon knocked on the door before opening it. Richard, Lipton, Babe and Liebgott were present with the Colonel. My fingers tightened as I wanted to grab Babe's hand but only tightened my grip on Nixon's.

I sat down in the only chair across from the Colonel with the boys behind me. He did look like Grandpa Phil, the wrinkles and the white strikes yelled 'old'. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Sophie." I relaxed in the seat as the wrinkles turned into a warm smile, something Grandpa Phil hardly did without a glass of Jack in his hand.

"Same here Colonel." I sat on my hands to stop fiddling with them.

"From my understanding, your mother is American?" I nodded my head as he looked down at the papers once again spread over his desk.

"Your father's Jewish." His eye flickered behind me to Liebgott.

"And your uncle in America - deceased." I frowned at the words. "Past away." I nodded my head again. I didn't like questions; the white coats always asked questions. "Just like the rest of them." I got confused at the Colonel's words as he muttered down at the paper under his breath. "I hear you and the boys have taken a liking. But you know you can't stay here." I shifted in my seat watching the wrinkles in his face once again.

Nixon stepped forward. "Sir with all due of respect, it would be wise to send Sophie to America, I'm sure there is an orphanage she can go to."

"She is not going to an orphanage!" I almost jumped at the sound of Babe's voice, I didn't know the meaning of the word but my guess it wasn't pleasant.

"Then tell me a better plan, a war is no place for a child. What do you plan to do? Carry her all over Europe until the war is over?" I stared at Babe and Nixon standing toe to toe, I didn't like the conversation of arguing.

"We could do that!" Liebgott stepped in; I had never heard Joey raise his voice or the look in his eyes.

Richard touched my shoulder. "Sophie, go wait outside on one of the seats." He lightly pushed me towards the office door; I knew it wasn't a question.

The seat outside was almost as comfy as the Colonel's seat with its soft cushion, my feet dangling down just touching the floor. I winced as another loud voice came from the office before turning to mutters, I wish there was a window on the door so I could at least see what was happening, I did think of pressing my ear against the door, like we use to do when my parent's had their talks, I started to hum a song trying to count the strange circles in the tile pattern at my feet.

My head snapped up as the office door opened, Richard smiled at me nodding his head for me to rejoin them.

I settled back in the seat waiting for the Colonel to speak, the wrinkles in his face moving once again. "How do you feel about living in American...with Babe?" My eyes went wide as I turned around to face the red head, I lunged herself at him. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Glad you approve Pumpkin." He stroked my head, the sensation feeling strange with my prickly short hair growing back.

"In the mean time, you'll be staying here with one of the locals and a family." I signed at the news but didn't argue as I was going to live with Babe; I could remember the couple of times Mama had taken away things for nagging too much.

"That will be all, carry on." Colonel saluted the men, making them return it with straight backs; I stood away from Babe and copied their movements gaining a smile from the Colonel at my slow reaction compared to the boys.

**I **wanted the boys around; it was good to see their rough smiling faces but tonight seemed like one of those nights.

My eyes caught sight of the shadow figure, the infamous Ronald Spiers with the cigarette smoke clouding his face. Of course the boys had told me the stories; well Perconte started it earning himself a smack on the side of the head. They told stories that seemed unreal, but then I would never think there would be a war.

I trained my eyes on him as he made his way across the room heading to the door near me. At the last minute his strides slowed before he turned to me, his face not showing any emotion. Mama told me not to stare but I couldn't help it, I was interested. "They aren't true." The words seem to surprise him, though it was soon masked.

"What isn't?" It was the first time I heard him speak without giving orders to the men.

"The stories about you." He leaned forward like he was about to tell a secret.

"Notice with stories like that, everyone heard it from someone who was there." He turned his head taking a drag before continuing. "When you ask that person, they say they heard it from someone who _was _there. It's nothing new, really." He winked, leaving me seating there in wonder.  
Rumours.  
I could remember Mama always tell me to never believe in rumours; you don't know how twisted they turn. And that was a great example of Mama's warning.

"**YOU **can trust Ms Evelyn." I wrapped my fingers tighter around Babe's hand as his words didn't bring much comfort. "She has two kids." I looked up at Babe finding him smiling at me as I finally showed some interest. The good-byes had been said leaving Babe until last; I knew Ms Evelyn stood behind us giving us some space for our farewell. I didn't want him to leave; it was like separating from Papa and Mathew all over again. "You be good and I'll send some letters."

"You promise?" I grabbed onto his hand running my fingers over the lines and marks trying to remember all of them.

"Pinkie promise." He held out his pinkie making me instantly wrap my own around his bigger one. "I'll see you soon Pumpkin." Placing a kiss on my cheek he moved backwards to the truck seated with the rest of the men.

"You'll be alright dear." I could feel Ms Evelyn place a comforting hand on my back as the trucks started to rumble, taking my boys away from me. The tears were sliding down my face before they were out of view.

I simply let Ms Evelyn take me to her house; the house itself remembered me of Papa and Mama's house with the fence out the front and the tiny building sitting on a small block of land. The sound of feet sounded from inside the door making me halt in my walking. "That's just the children." I frowned at the way she said it, she didn't say _her _children which was the way Mama would always said to people.

The door opened revealing a small girl with black hair and a boy with brown, both breathing heavy as they stood wide eyes looking at me, making me play with the green hem of my shirt. "Children, this is Sophie."

"Beth." The young girl didn't hold her hand out instead grabbed hold of my hand dragging me into the cosy house; it remembered me of Anna dragging me to known places.

"I'm Thomas." The smaller boy ran up the stair after us. He seemed like a shadow as he followed his sister around though eagerly watching the both of us.

"How can you speak English?" I knew some people could speak the language but most didn't know how.

"Jane teaches us." The girl was happy to give answers as she continued with chatting away.

"I hate school." I heard the Thomas mutter, Anna use to say the same thing when our Mama sat us down for a couple of hours every day.

I sat on the floor listening to Beth talk; sometimes she would switch to German than back to English as her English was simple like my own. "Why do you have different eyes?" Her question brought me back to the present. No one had ever asked about my eyes, and I didn't want to answer.

Without a word I turned away from them and closed the door to the bathroom down the hallway, I would have gone to the bedroom but I had to share with them meaning I wouldn't have got the privacy I wanted. I didn't think there was anything wrong with my eye, though the way Beth said it made me self aware. It was a different voice than the boys used, I was always called Violet by most of them and none ever had a problem with my looks. George had said my eyes were beautiful, and they are or at least I thought so.

Moving towards the sink, I glanced up into the mirror taking in my hair that was slowly growing back to the pale skin and purple eye that looked almost blue. Usually if I wanted to hide I could behind the curtain of hair but my short hair wouldn't allow that, now as I stood staring at my reflection I could see what was so imperfect with myself, there was no way anyone could not notice my strange eyes.

I sat down on the bathroom floor feeling the coldness sweep over me as it use to do back at the camps, bringing my knees up to my chest I let the tears slide down my face.  
I wanted Babe back; I wanted all of them back.

**I **couldn't focusmy mind on the piece of paper in front of me, Ms Evelyn or Jane as the other kids called her was teaching us. I had gone to sleep that night in the kids bedroom, Beth lent me her teddy as a peace offering though it still made me self aware around them. Like the night before, dreams haunted me, nothing to do with Papa or Anna but the boys and Babe. It wasn't a pair of rough hands of Shifty that woke me up but the small hands of the boy Thomas who looked ready to cry himself as he stood there, he passed her his blanket that I had notice he carried around everywhere. Beth hadn't woken up and I was glad to not answer any unwanted questions.

Now I watched Jane move around the room, that night had given me time to talk to Thomas who happily answered my questions. Jane was his Aunt and we had something in common. Their parents had passed away before the time of this man name Hitler started to make bad actions as Martin explained to me. Jane Evelyn was younger than Mama was; her black hair showed no hints of grey like Colonel Sinks but kept its colour like Nixon's.

The work in front of me didn't stop the thoughts running through my head. I wanted Anna or Mathew, in all my life I have never spend this long of a time without one of them. It pained me to see Beth walking around with a teddy bear clutched in her arms; it reminded me of Anna and Polly. The dirty doll with holes through the fabric never left her sight; I could still remember Mama gathering thread and fabric to make Polly. Mama was going to make two, one for Anna and one for me though there was only enough for Anna, she didn't mind sharing but she hated the fact that I was older than her by a couple of minutes so Polly was always brought into the conversation, saying Polly was the youngest out of the three siblings, Mathew and I played along.

"_Sophie, can you read this."_ I blinked up at Jane, her warm smile didn't show any hint of madness as she placed a ratty book in front of her. Feeling safe, I looked down at the pages and frowned, I couldn't understand a single word of it.

"_I don't know how."_ Jane bent down to my level pointing a finger at the top of the page.

"_I figured you should learn how to read English."_

"_English?"_

"_Yes, like Babe. I'm sure you'll want to be able to read his letters."_ I nodded my head, straightening up in my seat to get a better view.

"The cat was black and white with a grey sock." she glanced at me to repeat after her.

"Th-e..."I stared at the three letter word in frustration.

"C-a-t." Jane spelt it out letting her finger run under the words.

"Ca-t...w-a-s?"

"That's it keep spelling the words out loud."

"The cat was...bl-a-ck an-d wh-ite...wi-th a gr-ey s-ock."

"Great, now try the next line." She run her fingers to the next sentence, slowly reading it out loud.

**THE** pounding of my feet against the ground brought a smile to my face, even more with Ms Evelyn's warning."Be careful" I raced after the other town kids, including Beth and Thomas, enjoying the splash of the muddy water in my shoes and the smell of the forest. Different colours of green blurred around me as I tried to run faster than Danny, one of the town kids or known as Thomas best friend. It was refreshing to be outside of the house away from the school work and chores.

Sometimes while out playing I would sometimes see someone run past me in a blur only to feel that tug on my hand in a new direction and discovering something unseen from the day before. I knew she was with me, that Anna was with me all the time.

I came to a halt as Mrs. Evelyn's voice echoed through the trees. "Mail has arrived!" I had a new sense of rash run through me. Today might be the day I get some mail from the boys.

Since the day of leaving I had only got two letters and I guess I should be thankful for that many but I always crossed my fingers. "Sophie, there is a letter for you." Flipping the letter over the American eagle was stamped in the front saying _US Mail, _surely that meant the boys were home. It had been mother since their leaving and the war was over meaning it was at the starting of recovering.

I started to jump up and down before I finished reading. I could go home, see the boys and it could be like old times.

**THE** type writer made a slight ding as it come to an end. I let out a shuttering breath, a weight lifted from my shoulder that had been there for years, at the age of thirty-five and my life was still changing from the start of the war. "How is it going pumpkin?" I turned in my seat placing the last _one _onto the pile.

"Finished." I smiled at the red head man.

"Did I hear you finished?" Bill, Wild Bill as he was sometimes still called came into the room with his wife Frances took a seat next to the other Philly.

"Maybe you fellas should think about writing a book, let everyone know the truth." Bill simply laughed at me while Babe made himself comfortable, a small smile on his face. I knew babe had written bits and pieces, it was his idea after all.

Babe stayed by his primrose, I know he wasn't a lying man or at least to me. It seemed I will be forever in debt to Winters and Sink as they held a strong part in pulling the strings as they say, and Babe was right beside them. A couple of months later, Evelyn was packing her bags and sending her over on a plane, my first experience. When I landed, I was met with m_y _boys, _my _family.

I had heard stories of Philly even been living here for awhile, I still couldn't believe the beauty of the place, it was nothing like Germany. I felt safe with the two Philly men, but never felt like home without that someone else.  
It had taken many years and every year I would count.  
It had finally come as day was the day.  
Mathew was landing in America.

Everything will finally be complete.

He and Private Heffron wrote a joint memoir, _Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story_, which described their combat experiences.


End file.
